Metal structural units



1950 A. DAVIS, JR., ET AL METAL STRUCTURAL UNITS Filed Au 1s, 1956 INVENTOM. wzza 0 21mm; BY amesa/ ac/zoii METAL sraucronar. UNITS Augustine Davis, Jr., and James A. Nichols, Washington, D.C., assignors to Davis'eilt Steel Joist Inc, Washington, D.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 13, 1956, Ser. No. 603,594

3 Claims. (Cl. 189-34) This invention relates as indicated to metal structural units and more particularly to metal joists, studs, girders, trusses, ribs, and the like.

The advantages of metal joists and studs have been known for a long time and many proposals have been made for the construction of metal connecting and supporting structures to replace wooden ones. The shrinking and warping of wooden joists and studs cause damage to the construction and give rise to unsightly appearances. However, the various metal ones that have been proposed in the past have been generally too expensive to be manufactured in competition with wooden joists.

It has been found that a metal structural unit, if it is to have material fastened to it by nailing, desirably be provided with two spaced thicknesses of nail penetrable sheet steel. The two thicknesses of sheet metal effectively hold the nail as well as impart rigidity and stability to the unit.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide metal structural units which can be inexpensively manufactured and which can be sold at a price competitive to wooden ones.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a metal unit for building construction which has two thicknesses of sheet metal for receiving driven nails.

It is another object of the invention to provide a stud or joist of metal which is sturdy, rugged, and yet pleasing in appearance.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a metal unit which may be used for and in a number of structural positions as trusses, beams, or girders.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a metal joist or stud which meets the requirements of the many and varied building codes.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become evident as the description proceeds and from an examination of the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention and in which similar numerals refer to similar parts through the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a metal structural unit of the invention having a wooden board nailed thereto.

Figure 2 is a view in section taken substantially along line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the metal unit embodying the invention showing how the elements are assembled.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference numeral indicates generally the metal structural unit of the invention. The metal structural unit is made up of two companion channel-shaped elements which are nested together to form a box-like member having a generally rectangular cross section. As shown in the drawings, the channel members 20, 30, are nested together in an interlocking arrangement. The channelshaped element has a pair of sides 21, 22, connected together by a web 23. On the outer marginal portion of side 21 is an inwardly bent flange 25, substantially parallel to web 23. Likewise, on the outer marginal edge of side 22 there may be an inwardly bent flange 24, substantially parallel to web 20. Side 21 is fiat and side 22 has a longitudinally extending depression or crease 26 formed therein. The depression is concave and may assume a V-shaped outline. Side 21 is slightly wider than side 22 so as to permit the nesting with the opposite sides of a companion channel-shaped mernher. The channel-shaped element may be formed from a single strip of sheet metal which is bent by any suitable operation, such as continuous rolling, into an integral piece.

Channel shaped member 30 is of the same configuration as member 20, and has a pair of sides 31, 32, formed on a web 33. The sides are provided withsuitable flanges 35, 34. Side 32 is also provided with a longitudinally extending depression 36 while side 31 is flat.

The metal gauge of the channel-shaped elements depends on the load to be applied to the metal joist or stud. 18-gauge sheet steel has been found to be satisfactory.

As best shown in Figure 3 the metal joist or stud is made up of the two channel-shaped elements which are put together with the open faces toward the other, and with the opposite sides contiguous. Thus, side 32 is placed against side 21, and side 22-is placed against side 31, the webs 23, 33 being to the Outside, and with the open faces of each channel element admitting the creased side and web of the other.

The assembled unit may be a straight beamor shaped as an arch. An arch configuration may be useful for the construction of quonset type buildings. The boards or other material 40 may be secured to the sides 21 or 31 by fastening elements 50. As shown, a board 40 is fastened to side 31 by drive screws or nails. These fastening elements 50 are preferably of the socalled helix type and need not be any heavier than the size No. 9. The nails 50 are driven through the board into side 31 and then through side member 22, so that it penetrates two spaced thicknesses of nail penetrable sheet metal, and locking thereto by means of the friction afforded by the inherent slight resiliency of the sheet metal. In this way no further clinching of the nails or screws is necessary.

The two elements 20, 30, when nested together, are not required to be welded to one another in many applications. In some instances, however, it may be desirable to secure the flanges 25, 35, to the respective webs 33, 23, such as by spot-welding, so that the structural unit can withstand additional strains and stresses.

In the drawing and specification there has seen set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in form and the proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalents are contemplated, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as further defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. The combination of a metal structural unit for building construction and the like, comprising a first channel-shaped element of nail-penetrable sheet metal having a straight side member formed on a connecting web member and a flange member on said straight side member parallel to said web member, a second dhannel-shaped element of nail-penetrable sheet metal having a concave side member formed on a connecting web member and a flange member on said concave side member parallel to said Web member, said concave side member having a longitudinally extending depression therein, said straight side member of the first element being wider than said concave side member of the second element, said second element nested with said first element with the Web members of said elements on the outside of the unit and having said concave side member of the sec ond element disposed against the inside surface of said straight side member and between the flange member and web member of the first element; a collateral structural member disposed adjacent to and supported by said metal structural unit; and driven frictional fastening elements passing through said collateral member and also successively through said straight side member and said concave side member of said nail-penetrable metal structural unit, said driven fastening elements being retained securely in .place by their frictional contact with the distorted margins of the openings formed in the spaced-apart straight side member and concave side member by the driving of said fastening elements combined with the locking effect of the slight deflection of at least one of said side members due to the inherent slight unhindered resilience thereof under the driving force of the fastening element.

2. The combination of a metal structural unit for building construction and the like, comprising a first channelsha-ped element of nail-penetrable sheet metal having a pair of side members formed on a connecting Web member and flange members on the ends of each of said side members parallel. to said web member, one of said side members of said channel-shaped element being wider than the other of said side members, a second channelshaped element of nail-penetrable sheet metal having a pair of side members formed on a connecting web member and flange members on the ends of each of said side members parallel to said web member, one of said side members in said second channel-shaped element having a longitudinally extending concave depression and the other of said side members being wider than said side member having said depression, said second channelshaped element nested in said first channel-shaped element with said side member with said concave depression on the second channel-shaped element disposed against the inside surface of the wider side member of said first channel-shaped element; a collateral structural member disposed adjacent to and supported by said metal structural unit; and driven frictional fastening elements passing through said collateral member and also successively through said wider side member and said concave side member of said nail-penetrable metal structural unit, said driven fastening elements being retained securely in place by their frictional contact with the distorted margins of the openings formed in the spaced-apart Wider side member and concave side member by the driving of said fastening elements combined with the locking eifect of the slight deflection of at least one of said side members due to the inherent slight unhindered resilience thereof under the driving force of the fastening element.

3. The combination of a metal structural unit for building construction and the like, having two companion channel elements nested together to form a supporting member of a rectangular cross-section, each of said channel elements comprising a pair of side members, a web member connecting said side members, and flange members at the outer edges of said side members projecting toward the opposite side members, the first of said side members having a longitudinally extending concave depression, the second of said side members being wider than said first side member; a collateral structural member disposed adjacent to and supported by said metal structural unit; and driven frictional fastening elements passing through said collateral member and also successively through said second side member and said first concave side member of said nail-penetrable metal structural unit, said driven fastening elements being retained securely in place by their frictional contact with the distorted margins of the openings formed in the s aced-apart first and second side members by the driving of said fastening elements combined with the lock.- ing effect of the slight deflection of at least one of said side members due to the inherent slight unhindered resilience thereof under the driving force of the fastening element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,643,577 Dornier Sept. 27, 1927 1,758,150 Elston May 13, 1930 2,454,604 Heim Nov. 23, 1948 2,675,896 Van Pelt Apr. 20, 1954 2,742,122 Stanley Apr. 17, 1956 2,809,729 Capitani Oct. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 939,599 France Apr. 26, 1948 644,562 Great Britain Jan. 9, 1952 

